Email marketing is one of the most effective methods of communicating with potential guests, but implementing the right strategies into your email messaging can be tricky. But don’t stress! We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to maximise the effectiveness of your email campaigns.
Actively build your database
Creating great email campaigns is only worthwhile if you have a strong database to send them to. Your membership list is a valuable tool, but acquiring new subscribers isn’t always easy.
An automated pop-up on your website is a great way to build your membership database and secure a few extra bookings at the same time.
Give guests access to discounts, upgrades and extra inclusions when they subscribe to your list- which can be immediately applied to their booking on the spot.
This incentivises direct bookings (great for comparison shoppers!) but also gives you access to those valuable email addresses of potential guests, whether they go on to finalise a booking or not.
Research suggests welcome emails sent on the day of signup have a 42% higher average read rate than other emails, so it might be worth considering sending an appreciative welcome message to your new subscribers.
Personalise & segment
On that note, 78% of consumers favour personalisation and data indicates personalisation can yield a six times higher revenue return. The level of personalisation depends on the data you collect from your guests and can be as simple as addressing emails with individual guest names or sending out special offer invitations with birthday messages.
Re-engagement emails can also be an effective way to reach out and connect with guests who haven’t been consistently engaging with your marketing material or haven’t made a booking in a while. Sending these emails with a discount can be all it takes to make loyal guests out of those dormant subscribers.
Personalised thank-you emails sent after checkout can also add a touch of authenticity and give your guests a chance to review and give feedback on their experience.
Segmenting your database is also important to ensure you’re sending the right messages to the right guests at the right time. Think about the types of guests who stay at your hotel, how long they tend to stay for and what extras, room types and packages they like to purchase.
If you’re running a school holidays promotion targeting families and advertising free kids meals and beach equipment use, your email will be irrelevant and annoying to members in your database who stay at your hotel when in town for business.
Take the time to go through your database and segment it into various groups of members with similar interests who will respond well to different types of email messages.
Consider content
Now that you’ve taken the time to build a solid database with unique segmented groups, it’s time to think about your message and what you want your recipients to actually do. Keep text concise and to the point, include great imagery and maintain branding consistency with your hotel standards.
Also think about an effective subject line, as this is obviously the first snippet of your email guests see before deciding to open or ignore. Creating urgency is a great way to encourage a response from guests when advertising specials and promotions. Consider the difference between these two subject lines:
Book the 10% off winter special.
Hurry! 10% off winter special selling fast!
A call-to-action is also an essential part of your email marketing to make it effortless to book, redeem or engage with the message you’re trying to get across. Include wording, links and buttons encouraging guests to interact with your content rather than simply read about it.
Why have an email about a great new package offer if you don’t include a ‘BOOK NOW’ button linking to your booking page?
Upsell, Advertise & Reward
Pre-arrival emails can be a great way to upsell extras and upgrades on existing bookings before your guests arrive. As well as advertising your current specials and packages with links to immediately bookable landing pages, consider other ways your email content can create value for guests and in turn boost your hotel’s revenue. Rewarding loyal customers with exclusive discounts is a great way to motivate them to book again, and using this strategy in conjunction with client profile logins on your website will streamline the process.
Still need more help?
Your time is valuable and comprehensive, consistent email marketing strategies can be tedious. Letting an expert handle this on your behalf allows you to focus on creating an exceptional guest experience, freeing up your time to assist the flood of bookings from guests who received marketing emails from your property.
For more email marketing content ideas, click here.
